Have you heard about the new Swix and Fischer "concept shop" at Jackson Ski Touring?
Hey, here's a concept: How about a truly independent, knowledgeable retailer who has the best interests of each individual customer at heart, rather than some manufacturer's pimp, especially one that has to represent the Fischer tongue depressor touring skis?
Just a thought.
When you're up there keep your bullshit detector on high and your hand on your wallet. And enjoy the delicate balance they walk between po' penniless non-profit and full-on retail shark.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Smell is the strongest trigger of memory
The smell of wood smoke hangs thickly in the air from the wildfires in Quebec. It reminded me of the smell inside the Jackson Ski Touring base lodge when the fireplace was acting up, as it frequently did.
No sooner had I recorded that thought than I had a spasm of pain between my shoulder blades as if someone had stabbed me in the back.
Although the stabbing at JSTF was figurative, the stress induced by the clandestine activity generated various symptoms including many variations on back pain. The sensation of a knife in the back was so appropriate I could hardly complain.
No sooner had I recorded that thought than I had a spasm of pain between my shoulder blades as if someone had stabbed me in the back.
Although the stabbing at JSTF was figurative, the stress induced by the clandestine activity generated various symptoms including many variations on back pain. The sensation of a knife in the back was so appropriate I could hardly complain.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Retail at Jackson Ski Touring and Financial Risk
In this, the tenth year since Jackson Ski Touring ceased to be the tenant of a retailer and became the landlord instead, they may finally have realized that providing retail services for their operation is not a privilege.
At the start of nine long years beginning in 2000, they compared the contract position they offered to retail concessions at downhill areas. Citing the high percentages downhill areas demand in fees from retail concessionaires, they rated their own rake-off from retail operations as quite reasonable. It certainly was lower than the gouge suffered by retail providers at downhill areas. And ultimately the Jackson tithe is a tiny component of the full financial exposure a retailer will face there.
A season like the one we're enduring now highlights the uncertainty of any investment related to cross-country skiing. A bad winter in 2005-'06 caused long-term damage to the retailer at Jackson Ski Touring because they couldn't cut back hours or personnel even when there was no business. The shop had also purchased inventory for multiple locations. Because the crisis struck the whole industry, creditors were lenient as much as they could be, but most suppliers are part of larger corporations. The Nordic part of their cash flow is small enough to make it look like a mere nuisance to the bean counters in upper management.
The current retailer at Jackson Ski Touring related similar frustrations at another contract position they had held, where they were expected to stock and staff an under-performing location.
It must have taken thousands of dollars in fancy lawyering to allow Jackson Ski Touring, a 501(c)3 non-profit, to operate their retail store under the banner of an outside provider. One can only hope that they are also shouldering the bulk of the financial risk for this provider. Once the season ends, Jackson Ski Touring shrinks back like a little slimy creature burying itself in the drying mud at the bottom of a watering hole, awaiting the next monsoon, but the retail concessionaire has to stay above ground, foraging and fending for itself. Bicycling and cross-country skiing are tough businesses. They require a bewildering diversity of product to suit as many potential customers as possible. If operating at Jackson Ski Touring increases the risk without sufficiently enhancing income to cover more than just the expense of being there, it's a loser.
It's especially harsh for the new provider to face this kind of slap in the face in their first year there. One can only hope, as I said, that Jackson Ski Touring realizes that they owe their retail provider a lot more than their retail provider owes them. And I hope the retail provider realizes it, too.
At the start of nine long years beginning in 2000, they compared the contract position they offered to retail concessions at downhill areas. Citing the high percentages downhill areas demand in fees from retail concessionaires, they rated their own rake-off from retail operations as quite reasonable. It certainly was lower than the gouge suffered by retail providers at downhill areas. And ultimately the Jackson tithe is a tiny component of the full financial exposure a retailer will face there.
A season like the one we're enduring now highlights the uncertainty of any investment related to cross-country skiing. A bad winter in 2005-'06 caused long-term damage to the retailer at Jackson Ski Touring because they couldn't cut back hours or personnel even when there was no business. The shop had also purchased inventory for multiple locations. Because the crisis struck the whole industry, creditors were lenient as much as they could be, but most suppliers are part of larger corporations. The Nordic part of their cash flow is small enough to make it look like a mere nuisance to the bean counters in upper management.
The current retailer at Jackson Ski Touring related similar frustrations at another contract position they had held, where they were expected to stock and staff an under-performing location.
It must have taken thousands of dollars in fancy lawyering to allow Jackson Ski Touring, a 501(c)3 non-profit, to operate their retail store under the banner of an outside provider. One can only hope that they are also shouldering the bulk of the financial risk for this provider. Once the season ends, Jackson Ski Touring shrinks back like a little slimy creature burying itself in the drying mud at the bottom of a watering hole, awaiting the next monsoon, but the retail concessionaire has to stay above ground, foraging and fending for itself. Bicycling and cross-country skiing are tough businesses. They require a bewildering diversity of product to suit as many potential customers as possible. If operating at Jackson Ski Touring increases the risk without sufficiently enhancing income to cover more than just the expense of being there, it's a loser.
It's especially harsh for the new provider to face this kind of slap in the face in their first year there. One can only hope, as I said, that Jackson Ski Touring realizes that they owe their retail provider a lot more than their retail provider owes them. And I hope the retail provider realizes it, too.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
New! From XIMS!
XIMS introduces the NEW Hotbox with built-in rotisserie! Treat your skis to a great base coat of wax while you cook up a couple of game hens or a chicken.
Automatic baster applies your favorite marinade to keep meat moist. Sensors monitor internal and external meat temperature. All data is displayed on the digital remote readout panel you can locate in any convenient place.
Automatic baster applies your favorite marinade to keep meat moist. Sensors monitor internal and external meat temperature. All data is displayed on the digital remote readout panel you can locate in any convenient place.
Friday, November 20, 2009
The real pulling ponies in Jackson
Jackson Ski Touring's sucess hinges on the serious efforts of some hard workers. Chief among these is the Executive Director, as well as Mrs. Executive Director, followed by the patrol captain I commended earlier. I did not want to dilute my homage to her by commending the other draft horses in the same post. I also don't want to discount the considerable efforts by those making them.
In season, a huge debt goes to Andy the groomer, an artiste of the Pisten Bully. As of last season, JSTF had an extremely promising trainee in grooming as well. It really wouldn't be worth going there without the grooming. But that's true of any large Nordic area.
The present rental manager really just coasts on the superb work done by the first rental manager who set up the shop downstairs in 2000. That first rental manager, an excellent young man named Dudley, really fostered a spirit of cooperation in the building. As soon as the current rental manager took over, that began to erode. Whether he had a hidden agenda or not, he certainly gave that impression. That does not matter to the skiers using the facility, only to people who work there who might find themselves embroiled in someone else's strange intrigues.
The patrollers and instructors definitely pull their weight in season. Sometimes it just comes down to luck. If you pull a shift when there's a lot of shoveling to do, you will shovel. At other times you might get off with a bit of light work and some nice skiing. That's part of the hook that gets people to sign up for the low pay and the threat of unemployment in the event of a big thaw.
In season, a huge debt goes to Andy the groomer, an artiste of the Pisten Bully. As of last season, JSTF had an extremely promising trainee in grooming as well. It really wouldn't be worth going there without the grooming. But that's true of any large Nordic area.
The present rental manager really just coasts on the superb work done by the first rental manager who set up the shop downstairs in 2000. That first rental manager, an excellent young man named Dudley, really fostered a spirit of cooperation in the building. As soon as the current rental manager took over, that began to erode. Whether he had a hidden agenda or not, he certainly gave that impression. That does not matter to the skiers using the facility, only to people who work there who might find themselves embroiled in someone else's strange intrigues.
The patrollers and instructors definitely pull their weight in season. Sometimes it just comes down to luck. If you pull a shift when there's a lot of shoveling to do, you will shovel. At other times you might get off with a bit of light work and some nice skiing. That's part of the hook that gets people to sign up for the low pay and the threat of unemployment in the event of a big thaw.
Hard Workin' Woman
Like any theme park, Jackson Ski Touring depends on a staff that often works largely unnoticed by the visitor.
The patrol captain, at least through the end of the 2008-'09 season, was one such unsung hero. Any group of employees anywhere has its bickering and gossip, but in the final analysis I doubt if too many on the payroll at JSTF would like to trade workloads with this woman. Who else might have to give CPR on the far reaches of a trail and then high-tail it back to the lodge to clean kid puke off the carpet?
JSTF gets real value for the dollar from their multi-purpose employee. She gets all manner of work dumped in front of her: trail crew, errands, shoveling snow onto areas of trail with thin cover, shoveling and snowblowing snow off the walkways, garbage detail, cleaning in the lodge and, oh yeah, patrolling the trails and providing first aid services. And I bet I left something out. She can drive a groomer in a pinch, and has done so.
She achieves all this without a shred of perkiness. That's yet another plus in my book. She's as burnt as any of us who have been in the tourist industry longer than any psychiatrist would recommend, but she still cranks out the work. If JSTF has let her slip away, they are the greater fools. If they haven't, she still has my admiration and just a bit of condolence. But hey: we all gotta work. And if she's still on the job, I urgently recommend that you get your trail pass before skiing and make sure it is visible.
The patrol captain, at least through the end of the 2008-'09 season, was one such unsung hero. Any group of employees anywhere has its bickering and gossip, but in the final analysis I doubt if too many on the payroll at JSTF would like to trade workloads with this woman. Who else might have to give CPR on the far reaches of a trail and then high-tail it back to the lodge to clean kid puke off the carpet?
JSTF gets real value for the dollar from their multi-purpose employee. She gets all manner of work dumped in front of her: trail crew, errands, shoveling snow onto areas of trail with thin cover, shoveling and snowblowing snow off the walkways, garbage detail, cleaning in the lodge and, oh yeah, patrolling the trails and providing first aid services. And I bet I left something out. She can drive a groomer in a pinch, and has done so.
She achieves all this without a shred of perkiness. That's yet another plus in my book. She's as burnt as any of us who have been in the tourist industry longer than any psychiatrist would recommend, but she still cranks out the work. If JSTF has let her slip away, they are the greater fools. If they haven't, she still has my admiration and just a bit of condolence. But hey: we all gotta work. And if she's still on the job, I urgently recommend that you get your trail pass before skiing and make sure it is visible.
Is The Big Guy Actually God?
Up at Jackson Ski Touring, you may be lucky enough to encounter Almghty God in the flesh.
Consider the evidence. Some people worship him. Some people despise him. Some people have never heard of him. He works in mysterious ways. He's prone to say things that sound crushingly insensitive, but the cold pronouncements of an omniscient God might be hard to take sometimes. Other devotees may be comforted and uplfted by what they hear from his lips.
Regarding his omniscience, I offer this example: He was telling someone about a rescue party he had led to retrieve a victim from the Hall Trail. Although the victim was able to walk by the time the rescuers arrived, and he thought he could ski out with an escort, he had hit a tree when he crashed and actually had fractured a vertebra in his neck.
"He called me from Boston to tell me what they'd found at the hospital," said The Big Guy. "He kept saying, 'I didn't know I'd broken my neck. I didn't know.' But I knew."
"I knew," The Big Guy said. He didn't say he knew it was a good possibility. He didn't say that a well-trained first responder would take the proper precautions following any accident of this type. He said he knew.
Was this self-aggrandizement overstepping the bounds of modesty or the all-seeing God letting the veil slip in an unguarded moment?
It all comes down to belief.
As an agnostic I have failed to gain the comforting certainty of either pure belief or pure disbelief. I'm still intrigued by the possibility that genuine divine wisdom may lurk in what might sound to someone else like mere bombast or shallow, cruel dismissal. The truth is always veiled in the clouds that swirl around the Olympian heights. They cloak the counsels of God and the Angels to assure the mortals have to choose of their own free will whether to take up the faith or turn away.
Those who speak most strongly against the Big Guy tend to be rebellious Lucifer types. You'll find no proof from them. Others who grouse are only normal. Who hasn't growled a prayer of complaint from time to time? Those whose devotion weakens temporarily always come back to the faith eventually, usually sooner than later.
So, the next time you're skiing at Jackson Ski Touring, keep a sharp eye and ear out for manifestations of the Divine. You might see the image of a saint in the pattern of yellow snow alongside the Ellis River Trail on a busy holiday weekend, or overhear someone in the priestly hierarchy disciplining a novice whose devotion has slackened.
You could also choose to blind yourself to the miracles and possibilties and simply enjoy the skiing. When the groomers haven't all been pulled off the other trails to work on a race course, the skiing is Divine.
Consider the evidence. Some people worship him. Some people despise him. Some people have never heard of him. He works in mysterious ways. He's prone to say things that sound crushingly insensitive, but the cold pronouncements of an omniscient God might be hard to take sometimes. Other devotees may be comforted and uplfted by what they hear from his lips.
Regarding his omniscience, I offer this example: He was telling someone about a rescue party he had led to retrieve a victim from the Hall Trail. Although the victim was able to walk by the time the rescuers arrived, and he thought he could ski out with an escort, he had hit a tree when he crashed and actually had fractured a vertebra in his neck.
"He called me from Boston to tell me what they'd found at the hospital," said The Big Guy. "He kept saying, 'I didn't know I'd broken my neck. I didn't know.' But I knew."
"I knew," The Big Guy said. He didn't say he knew it was a good possibility. He didn't say that a well-trained first responder would take the proper precautions following any accident of this type. He said he knew.
Was this self-aggrandizement overstepping the bounds of modesty or the all-seeing God letting the veil slip in an unguarded moment?
It all comes down to belief.
As an agnostic I have failed to gain the comforting certainty of either pure belief or pure disbelief. I'm still intrigued by the possibility that genuine divine wisdom may lurk in what might sound to someone else like mere bombast or shallow, cruel dismissal. The truth is always veiled in the clouds that swirl around the Olympian heights. They cloak the counsels of God and the Angels to assure the mortals have to choose of their own free will whether to take up the faith or turn away.
Those who speak most strongly against the Big Guy tend to be rebellious Lucifer types. You'll find no proof from them. Others who grouse are only normal. Who hasn't growled a prayer of complaint from time to time? Those whose devotion weakens temporarily always come back to the faith eventually, usually sooner than later.
So, the next time you're skiing at Jackson Ski Touring, keep a sharp eye and ear out for manifestations of the Divine. You might see the image of a saint in the pattern of yellow snow alongside the Ellis River Trail on a busy holiday weekend, or overhear someone in the priestly hierarchy disciplining a novice whose devotion has slackened.
You could also choose to blind yourself to the miracles and possibilties and simply enjoy the skiing. When the groomers haven't all been pulled off the other trails to work on a race course, the skiing is Divine.
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